


Crossroads Forever Linked

by Emberleaf23



Series: Danplan/ActuallyOddPlan Past Lives AU [1]
Category: DanPlan, actuallyoddplan
Genre: But they ain't the focus, I'm failing, I'm trying to capture the chaos sircantus gives the group, M/M, RPG, also expect extra short stories, cursing, i mean they exist, it's just background and hinted, just elaborating and showing unseen stories, past lives au, ships ain't important, sorry - Freeform, there's a lot of cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25043503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emberleaf23/pseuds/Emberleaf23
Summary: When 1 becomes 3 and 3 becomes 4. When they've seen so much more.Running for their lives, remembering old times, recalling how it felt to say goodbye.Remember when we died?---This book is based off the Past Lives AU of @starshiningagain on Tumblr. I asked her if I could get permission to make a book and she said heck yeah. So all credit goes to her. Check her out, she's amazing.There is serious influence of two particular Ao3 Danplan fics in this book. Stranded by just_bs_writing_here & By the way, RPG, but like, with less brain cells by sircantus. I also put Undertale references just about everywhere.Enjoy!!!
Relationships: Annabelle | Melodify & Joseph Catalanello & Jay Ko & Hosuh Lee & Daniel Lim & Stephen Ng, Hosuh Lee/Stephen Ng, Jay Ko/Daniel Lim
Series: Danplan/ActuallyOddPlan Past Lives AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813726
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning

There is a certified definition of a crossroads. "A road that crosses a main road or runs cross-country between main roads."

However, the current crossroads in this situation is not physical, but instead metaphysical. These people keep dying, being reborn. But somehow... in some way...

These people... these friends...

They always find each other.

Their lives are a river delta that keeps flowing back together.

A mountain, split by erosion, knitted back together through time.

A crossroads forever linked.


	2. Three Shards Pieced Back Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hosuh recognizes someone he's never met

Hosuh woke to his alarm, groaning as he shut it off. His cat, Stampy- an bright orange tom with alarmingly green eyes- kneaded the dull blue blankets and purred. Hosuh smiled and stroked his fur a few times before getting out of bed and stretching.

Sunlight was streaming through the window, lighting up the room and shining on Hosuh's art desk, his sketchbook still open, the soft paper topped with worn pencils.

He changed out of his pajamas and slipped out of his room, Stampy at his heels. He poured the flame-pelted tom his breakfast, noticing a note when he'd finished.

_Dear Hosuh,_

_I've gone to work early. They needed me in an emergency. I'll be home at 6:00. Be good._

_-Mom_

Hosuh placed it back on the counter and slipped on his boots. His mom was always going in early, since she was pretty good at her job so her boss needed her a lot.

He decided to go to a small café for breakfast- an amazing place only a few blocks from his house. So he slid his coat on and emerged into the frosty morning air.

Amazingly, it hadn't snowed, though Hosuh didn't mind all that much.

He was traveling down the sidewalk, humming to himself, only to pause. He turned and glanced at the house he'd stopped in front of.

It was a simple house, nothing special or eye-catching about it. But something about it made him oddly... calmed? Happy? Relaxed? He wasn't sure.

He shook himself and continued on to the café.

He stepped inside, just in time to witness a cashier and a costumer arguing with each other, their voices quickly rising. There was no one else in the small, normally-quiet café, just the two guys arguing.

"Dude, Rouge One is so much better than fucking _Force Awakens!"_ The customer argued, his arms folded and multi-colored eyes narrowed to a point at which they seemed closed.

He had spiky, bright ginger hair, one eye a bright amber whilst the other was a vibrant scarlet.

"Seriously? No fucking way, dude! The Force Awakens is _clearly_ superior to Rouge One, asshole!" The cashier shot back, waving his arms around in the air to accentuate his point.

He had vibrant purple hair styled in a long, curly mohawk that fell in his eyes, which were also a startling shade of violet. Hosuh blinked at the two, unsure how to react and, frankly, afraid.

But then, something deep, deep inside of him clicked. And because of it, he sighed and straightened before approaching the two, fear dissolved, a lightness in his step he'd never felt before.

"Guys, calm down. You fight enough already." He said in a calm, amused tone.

The cashier jokingly scoffed. "I do what I want, Hosuh! Why are you acting like that, anyway? Are you the new Daniel?"

The customer joined in with a playful smirk. "Yeah, Hosuh! You can't tell Stephen and I what to do!"

Stephen responded to him. "Right, Jay!"

Then they all broke out of the odd feelings bubbling in their chests and froze. "...What the hell...?" Jay muttered, taking a step back in uncertainty and shock.

"...We don't know each other... we've never met... so how...?" Hosuh questioned, stunned beyond belief.

Stephen was equally gob smacked. "What... what does this mean?"

Jay's multi-colored eyes flicked around the room, as though he'd find answers in the old wooden boards and softly-colored paintings, or perhaps in the ancient jewelry on display and how it glinted in the growing sunlight.

He walked over to the jewelry and frowned, a shard of a memory perking up in the tiniest corner of his mind, though he didn't quite notice it. It faintly nagged, but he couldn't get a hold of it.

"I... whatever it means... I think we've met before. Somewhere, _somehow_ , without remembering it."

Hosuh felt tears prick at his eyes for reasons he couldn't begin to fathom. "That doesn't make much sense, but... I feel like you're right. If we knew each other, then..."

Stephen nodded in understanding. "Then we must've known each other at some point. I... look. Can we talk about this later? My shift's nearly over. We can fuck around with this shit later."

The other two glanced at each other but nodded, understanding.

\-----

**A year later...**

Jay, Stephen, and Hosuh had been friends for a year. They seemed a little different around each other, having lighter steps and kinder eyes.

They sat around in Hosuh's bedroom, doing their own things and simply basking in each other's presence. Then Stephen set his phone down and gained Jay and Hosuh's attention.

"Hey, guys?"

Hosuh hummed. "Yeah?"

"Remember how we met?"

Jay focused on him, lips pulled down in the slightest frown. "...yeah. It was pretty weird."

Stephen sat up. "I mean, yeah, it was creepy as fuck, but... when we were saying each others names before we knew them... I mentioned someone else."

Hosuh put down his pencil. "You did?"

"Yeah. I asked you if you were the 'new Daniel?' But... we don't know anyone named Daniel or Dan. So... who is he?" Stephen wondered.

"Honestly?" Jay put in. "I couldn't care less. Let's just forget about him. We're fine without whoever the hell he is."

"Yeah." Stephen nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Yes- Jay, Stephen, and Hosuh had been friends for a year. They seemed a little different around each other, having lighter steps and kinder eyes.

They were puzzle pieces- they all fit so perfectly with one another.

But they weren't the only pieces of this puzzle.


	3. Αυτός που θυμάται τα περισσότερα

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to a fast-food place turns out worse then better than expected for all parties involved

Dan sighed as he got home, closing the door behind him and setting his house key on the counter while kicking off his boots.

He _still_ hadn't found them.

He'd been looking for years now. For those three people who just... fit. The ones he kept remembering.

See, he was a spirit reader- a palm reader of sorts. He only ever saw quick, tiny flashes and could see predictions, futures, and even memories.

But one day, he'd accidentally brushed his finger against his palm and palm-read himself. And he remembered three people, old friends he just kept finding in every new life.

He was trying to find them, piece together their past lives. He felt like only they could really understand him completely.

Understand his loneliness, his sadness, his-

He sighed again.

Maybe he'd never find them.

\-----

It had been 4 years since Hosuh, Jay, and Stephen had come across each other and became friends. They were currently sitting in a fast food place, joking around.

Jay then bet that he could arm-wrestle Stephen and win.

"Ha! No way! I'd totally win! Let's do it!" Stephen agreed.

"Shouldn't there be stakes? Hosuh, what are the stakes?" Jay asked in an announcers voice.

Hosuh giggled. "If you win, I'll buy you a cookie!"

"And when Jay loses?" Stephen asked with a grin.

Hosuh laughed again and looked around. "You've gotta... say hi to that green-haired guy over there!" He pointed to a guy with leaf-green hair and eyes the same bright color.

"Got it! Jay, prepare to fall to the mighty Stephen!"

Stephen then preceded to lose.

He whined about it while Jay happily munched on his cookie.

"Really? Do I _have_ to?" Stephen asked for the 500th time.

"C'mon, Stephen. It's not gonna kill you." Jay scoffed.

"But I don't like socializing!"

"Stephen!" Hosuh pouted.

"Ugh, fine! But not because I want to!"

Stephen got up and plopped himself across from the green-haired boy, who jumped in surprise.

"I'm Stephen. And before you ask, I'm only here because I lost a bet my stupid friends made me part of."

The boy frowned, then stopped to study him.

There was something deeply familiar to Stephen in those eyes, something that made him wanna insult the boy and jokingly mock his clearly inferior fashion choices.

It made him uneasy.

"Welp, I was only supposed to say hi so I'm gonna go now!" He spouted out, getting to his feet and about to speed-walk away, only to be stopped by the boys hand on his wrist.

"Wait. Who are your friends? Where are they?" The boy asked.

Stephen narrowed his eyes and considered running. Why the hell would some guy wanna know that? Why did he care?

He pulled his hand free. "...I'll go get them. I'll be back." He walked back over to them and explained what the boy did.

"Odd." Jay mused. "Why don't we just leave?"

"No." Hosuh cut him off. "He may follow us. And besides... I wanna know what he wants us for. C'mon." He rose and started towards the mysterious boy.

The other two boys got to their feet and followed him, flanking him protectively. Jay sat next to the green-haired boy while Stephen and Hosuh sat on the other side of the stall.

The green-haired boy studied them all, his vibrant eyes alight with recognition.

"So? Who are you? Why did you wanna meet them?" Stephen asked in a sharp voice.

The green-haired boy smiled. "I'm Dan. As for why I wanted to meet them, well, you three... you're who I've been looking for."

They tensed. "Looking for us? Why? What do you want?" Jay asked stiffly.

With no reason to keep it hidden, Dan spoke.

"I've always been a palm reader of sorts, but I'm not a fraud. I can see predictions, futures, memories. I accidentally did it to myself once, but it wasn't something I remembered. Not from this life, anyway.

"I saw a flash from a battlefield in World War 1. I was a soldier and fighting beside three people. People who I felt incredibly close with. And then I started remembering other pieces. Another piece being me being a soldier in Vietnam, fighting beside those same three people.

"I think that... I've had multiple past lives, and each time I spent them with those same three people. I've been looking for them for the past 5 years, those three who just always clicked with me and each other, like a puzzle.

"We understood each other perfectly and only felt truly comfortable around each other. I think... I think you're those three people. That's why I wanted to meet all of you."

Everyone stared at him in complete silence, shocked.

Then, Stephen snorted.

"Yeah, sure. That's totally why you wanted to see us. Well, thanks for the lies. See ya, asshole." He said, standing. Jay joined him. "No shit. There's no way in all hell any of that bullshit is true."

They began walking away. "C'mon, Hosuh!" Stephen called over his shoulder.

Hosuh mulled it over and realized something, freezing. "Guys, wait. Remember how we met?"

Both stopped, turning back towards Dan and Hosuh.

"We all said each other's names and knew each other, acting like old friends despite never having met. Stephen, you even mentioned someone named Daniel. Clearly, something was going on. Sit down." Hosuh said, holding out his hand towards them.

Stephen sighed and took Hosuh's hand, sitting down. "C'mon, Jay. Dan, you get one chance to convince us."

Jay sat next Dan with narrowed eyes, but didn't speak.

Dan took a deep breath. "Okay. Hosuh, can I see your hand?"

Hosuh frowned but held it out. But just as Dan touched it, Jay and Stephen acted out simultaneously in fear for Hosuh.

Stephen put his hand on Hosuh's wrist, about to yank it away from Dan. Meanwhile, Jay grabbed Dan to stop him from whatever the hell he was about to do.

But because of the shared contact, they all saw Hosuh's memory.

_Two Canadian soldiers stood in front of a fort. They looked exactly like Stephen and Hosuh, though their hair wasn't dyed and Hosuh's dark ponytail was far longer, braided even._

_The sun was rising over the horizon as the two conversed. Or, started to._

_"Hey, Stephen?" Hosuh asked, gazing at the grassy hills as sunlight spilled over them._

_"Yeah, Hosuh?" Stephen responded, voice tinged with boredom._

_"You ever wonder why we're here?"_

_"You know, Hosuh, I used to not care. I just went along with orders and hoped that everything would work out for me. But after all that's happened to me, you know what I've learned? It's not about hating the guy on the other side because someone told you to._

_"You should hate someone because they're an asshole, or a pervert, or a snob, or they're lazy, or arrogant, or an idiot, or a know-it-all. Those are reasons to dislike somebody. You don't hate a person because someone told you to. You have to learn to despise someone on a personal level._

_"Not because they're German, or because they're American, but because you know them, and you see them every single day, and you can't stand them because they're a complete and total fucking douchebag."_

_Hosuh blinked. "...You're really salty about this war, aren't you?"_

_"Gee, what the fuck gave you that idea?"_

_"Well, I uh... I was actually asking why we're out here when our shift was over 3 minutes ago. We should be resting while we can."_

_"Huh? Oh, right. Who's takin' over?"_

_"Jenkins, Dan, and Jay."_

_"Ha. Good luck to Dan and Jay. I hate that guy. C'mon, 'Osa."_

The memory ended, leaving them shaken. "Holy shit." Stephen uttered.

"Enough proof for you?" Dan asked, letting go of Hosuh. Jay let go of Dan, processing the memory.

Hosuh had known it was true, but he was amazed as well. "I think we should talk about this more. Maybe... maybe we'll remember more of our past lives."

Dan nodded and wrote something on a napkin. He gave it to Hosuh. "That's my number. We really should talk about this more."

He got up, grabbed his bag and walked away, leaving behind him the old friends he'd finally found again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually mainly used Church's speech to Caboose when he asked him 'You ever wonder why we're here'? (RVB) for Stephen's old speech with some little tweaks. Also I don't know how to do italics on this site. (Update: Figured out italics!!!)


	4. All Of A Sudden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are good. Until they aren't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Oof.

Hosuh ended up making a group text with Dan, Stephen, and Jay. They talked about their past lives. It should've felt so awkward, so unpredictable, so uneasy, so unstable.

But it... didn't?

It felt natural, like long-time friends joking and chatting on a calm, slow afternoon with nothing better to do but laugh and giggle.

They eventually decided to meet up at Dan's apartment every day, the time being good, as they were all on winter break from school.

So they sat at a square oak table and tried to recount bits and pieces of their past lives. Dan's integration into their trio was seamless, like a dolphin slipping up through icy waters to swim beside a pod.

It was good.

And because of it, they remembered.

Stephen remembered growing up in Canada and fighting in the first World War, meeting Hosuh, Jay, and Dan in the army, fighting beside them.

Jay remembered walking alongside them in the icy winters of Quebec, drinking warm coffee and admiring the bright stars that the fluffy, dark grey clouds just couldn't snuff out.

Hosuh remembered dozens of Christmases and Thanksgivings spent together, watching their nieces, nephews, and kids beg to open presents early, their stomachs full of sweet apple cakes and Jay's famed chocolate pie.

And Dan remembered making sugary maple syrup, fresh from maple trees, and jumping in piles of leaves on walks in the chilly yet fresh air of fall while robins chirped in content.

They remembered more and more, and everything seemed amazing as they grew yet closer.

One day, Hosuh found himself humming an old yet familiar tune while they were taking a break. One by one, everyone else joined in to hum along to _Good Luck To The Boys Of The Allies._

It was things like that- old jokes shared once again, humming songs from their past lives, making old meals made long ago.

Everything seemed amazing.

Until he'd seen it.

Hosuh had been walking to Dan's apartment, passing by the old house he'd felt connected to. Oddly, it didn't feel that way anymore.

So he went on walking, passing an old graveyard.

He glanced at the writing of a gravestone and choked on his own breath, falling to his knees as tears were suddenly streaking down his face like comets racing across a clear, starry sky- fast and sudden.

But the tears kept getting replaced with more and more still, his vision blurry as he stared at the grave.

**Stephen Miller**

**Nov. 11, 1892 - Nov. 1, 1918**

**A brave soldier / Left behind five grieving friends**

**He will be missed**

**RIP**

Hosuh felt an unwanted memory throwing itself to the surface of his thoughts, forcing him to remember the bullet that Stephen shoved Hosuh out of the way of.

How it had hit him right between the eyes and how he'd fallen to the muddy ground, making three faces pale and countless tears fall.

Hosuh somehow got to his feet and stumbled the last bit to Dan's apartment, too frantic to notice that there was a familiar, awful feeling coming from something nearby.

He quickly and frantically knocked on the door, not caring that he was knocking so hard that he was bruising his knuckles.

Everyone inside flinched when the rapid and rather loud knocking came out of nowhere.

"Hosuh. But what's making him knock so hard?" Jay asked, first to rise to his feet, though Dan and Stephen were rushing towards the door, Dan opening it, anxiety pricking the trio.

All three of them gasped when when they saw Hosuh, with tears streaming down his face and shattered eyes.

Stephen recovered first and reached out, wrapping an arm over Hosuh's shoulders and pulling him inside, shutting the door with his foot when Hosuh nearly tackled him in a hug, the oldest shoving his face into Stephen's shoulder with continued sobs.

Jay and Dan stepped closer, putting their hands on Hosuh's shoulders. "What the hell happened to him?" Jay asked, worry in his multi-colored irises.

Dan gave him a concerned, almost scared glance. Stephen shook his head, unsure what had caused Hosuh to just... break down like that.

They weren't sure what to do, so they just stayed there until Hosuh's sobbing finally ceased into quiet sniffles. Only then did Stephen gently pull away to look Hosuh in the eyes.

"What happened, 'Osa?"

Hosuh tried to breathe. "T-There was a g-grave. Your grave. From W-World War One."

Dan shuddered and Jay stiffened, but neither spoke, comprehending.

Hosuh somehow continued. "You d-died only 10 days before the war ended, and that day would've been your 23rd birthday. I remembered it, after seeing the grave.

"You shoved me out of the path out of a bullet and got shot yourself. I... maybe we should stop trying to remember. It'll just cause more pain..." He trailed off, his eyes dull, mimicking cracking glass.

"Hosuh, we've gotten happy memories from remembering and this is our first bad one. There's gonna be more that are bad, but also more that are good." Dan said, lightly pressing his shoulder against Hosuh's.

"Dan's right -I know, I can't believe I'm saying it either- but he has a point." Jay clocked in. "There will be bad, but there will be good. Dunno about you, but I definitely wanna remember stuff."

Hosuh glared at him. "You didn't even see it! And you wouldn't be saying that if you had!" He shot back, a terrified look in his icy blue eyes.

"Hosuh." Dan said quietly. "You've clearly seen something stressful. Why don't you rest in my room for a little bit?"

Hosuh sighed. "Yeah... yeah okay." He slipped away down the hall.

Stephen took a shaky breath.

Nobody really knew what to say, but eventually, Dan spoke up. "We should go to the graveyard. Maybe we'll remember more and convince Hosuh that it's okay to remember."

Stephen narrowed his eyes. "He should get a while before being asked to remember more. You may not remember it, but he was clearly traumatized. He deserves time and lots of it."

Jay sighed. "Then me and Dan will go. Stephen, you should stay here. Hosuh will panic if he wakes up and you're not here."

Stephen nodded and stepped away. "Go. Tell us what happened when you return."

The two said their goodbyes and slipped out of the apartment, a soft click coming from the door knob.

Stephen sighed, glancing back at Dan's room, where Hosuh fell off to sleep.

\---

As Hosuh sobbed on the sidewalk in front of the graveyard, some may have thought his cries to be a call for help.

Hosuh called for help.

And somebody came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random Fact: The words 'Hosuh fell off to sleep' were directly inspired by the lyrics of the lullaby called "Sleepsong" by Secret Garden. Also I have an apparent knack for making things as angsty as possible
> 
> Up next: More angsty shit


	5. Discovering, Remembering, Reconciling the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone remembers something they don't want to

Dan and Jay came to the ancient graveyard, feeling uneasy yet hopeful. Perhaps they could truly realize who they used to be and could be again.

They stepped through the creaky gate, unaware that they stood where Hosuh's ribbon had been only minutes before.

\-----

They watched Hosuh run away in a worried trance, only to break such trance when he was safely pulled into an apartment, which they assumed was his friends.

They walked over and crouched, picking up the discarded ribbon. It smelled of butterscotch, cinnamon, dusty air, awful yet [oddly enough] emotional spaghetti, strange hotdogs, and finally- golden flowers.

He'd been somewhere interesting. Or, perhaps, had yet to be...?

They tied the ribbon around their wrist. They'd return it soon.

\-----

Dan and Jay entered, first coming to Stephen's grave. It was surrounded with a few smooth stones, a few painted leaves, even a sand dollar.

Yes- they too felt great happiness and pain just standing near the tombstone. The happiness of dusty memories yet the absolute agony of knowing those memories would never be added to.

It forced images of blood [so much blood-], such a depressing funeral, endless nights spent sobbing and remembering and hugging, desperately trying to chase away the pain of a friend being dead and gone.

Dan stumbled away from it on instinct, nearly falling [falling, just like Stephen when the bullet hit its _target-_ ], only to barely caught by Jay, who was struggling with his own burden of pain and regret.

"Kinda wish we'd listened to Hosuh." Jay grunted, coming just short of falling to his knees. Dan felt a sudden burn in his shin, as though an old war wound was aching in the cold.

_He'd screamed and charged out of the barracks, where Stephen lay dead, Hosuh sobbing over his corpse. A bullet just barely grazed his shin, and suddenly it felt as though it was on fire._

_But Dan, empowered by rage, guilt, and extreme loss, continued on as though nothing had happened._

"No shit." He choked out.

Jay managed to drag himself to his unsteady feet. "We shouldn't have come here. Let's just go. C'm-"

Dan put a hand on his shoulder, sensing another, similar energy. But it was older- far, far older- and it was restless.

Stephen's faint power had felt complete, at rest and calm. He'd known that he'd die to save Hosuh and he'd accepted that fact.

But the other energy never got to do what it wanted to, ending unhappy and remorseful. Beside it was yet another energy, that one being apologetic to the first.

It had understood the first and felt so awful that it couldn't help achieve what the first wanted.

But what had the first wanted?

As Dan inched closer to a massive grave that was so ruined and ancient it was hardly more then rubble, honored with nothing more than weeds, he realized what.

For the first's lost family to live again.

The two energies- Dan knew who'd they'd been.

They were Hosuh and Stephen's very first lives.

Jay followed Dan and actually did fall to his hands and knees. "Oh _gods_ \- Stephen _no..._ " He whispered in a breaking voice, tears blossoming in his eyes.

Dan merely nodded, unsure how he himself was still standing.

His eyes flicked over the ancient writing on the remaining stone, carved in a language unknown to modern peoples, reading words that he hadn't read in a long time.

Words that he didn't want to read, and never had.

**Stephen Ng & Hosuh Willow**

**Lived Together & Died Together**

**Lost Their Lives To Defend The Thankful Town of Celvina**

**Forever Honored & Forever Mourned**

He somehow stumbled to the other side of the grave, where he started digging for the very thing he'd buried so many lifetimes before.

He needed to know what happened. Every detail, every word, every whisper.

Jay croaked from the other side. "What the hell are you doing, Dan?"

He found the ancient chest he'd buried all those years ago, tear drops from multiple people forever staining the wood.

He gently lifted it and tucked it away in the pocket of the absurdly oversized hoodie he was wearing. He walked back around, offered Jay his hand to rise, and they began the journey back to the apartment.

\---

Hosuh was awake when they returned, arguing with a nervous Stephen about why the hell Dan and Jay decided to go to the graveyard.

As soon as they entered, Hosuh whirled around to face them. "You guys are absolute idiots! Why the hell did you do exactly what I said not to do?"

Jay sighed and sat on the couch, rubbing his eyes.

"Look, Hos, you were right. We saw what you saw. And it was so goddamn horrible just standing near the thing. But we saw another grave and it was so much worse. Dan did something to it and we went back."

Stephen blinked. " _'Did something?'_ Dan, what did ya do?" He turned to face his friend, looking for an explanation.

Dan sighed and slipped the ancient chest out of his pocket, placing it on the table. "I uncovered this."

Jay shot to his feet while Stephen and Hosuh stared, speechless.

"Dan, what the _fuck_ did you do? _WHY THE **FUCK** WOULD YOU-"_ Jay snarled, his eyes glowing menacingly. No one noticed the tiny flames that began to quietly lick at his fingertips.

"Jay, I buried this. Long ago. I remember that much. But I have to remember what happened to them- to us. I want to know who we used to be."

Jay glared at him, but the flames at his fingertips fizzled out, still unnoticed. "Didn't you hear? Curiosity killed the cat."

Dan met his gaze calmly. "But satisfaction brought him back."

Jay blinked, then looked away. He sat on the couch, glaring with raging fire in his two-toned gaze.

"You're not the only one who buried that box." He growled under his breath.

Dan took a deep breath before gently opening the chest. It wasn't big, only about the size of a stack of 3 or 4 large dictionaries.

Inside, there were items that made him freeze and forget to breathe.

Stephen noticed it and walked over, peering into the chest alongside Dan. Only for his body to go slack too.

Almost in some trance-like state, he reached into the box and gently picked up the dagger on top. It was mostly silver, with faint touches of gold and a glittering, cracked purple gem placed in the handle.

Hosuh realized what it did and remembered before anyone else, suddenly rushing forward to take the dagger before Stephen realized and remembered.

Realized and remembered the awful thing that happened, the thing that had stained his mind like potent ink.

But Hosuh was too late.

They all were.

The next thing Jay knew was that the dagger had fallen to the table- dropped in shock, clattering against the wood- and Stephen had fallen to his knees, eyes wide and filling with tears as he remembered them.

His first family.

And their horrid, horrid deaths.

Stephen couldn't think. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he _couldn't-_

**HE COULDN'T SAVE THEM.**

Theodosia [ _Ted he always called her Ted-_ ] and Tanisha. They were lying dead in the snow and he _couldn't. Fucking. Save them._

He didn't register Hosuh's panicked voice. Or Dan's rapid-fire curses about himself under his breath. Or Jay shooting up from the couch again and racing across the room in only around half a second.

He couldn't save them.

\-----

It took what felt like years for Stephen calm down. His lungs begging for breath, his throat begging for water, his heart begging for them.

Tanisha and Theodosia. _Tani and Ted._

Tanisha's vibrant red, curly hair that spilled across her freckled shoulders and fell in her brilliant turquoise eyes that sparkled with joy and knowledge.

Ted's straight red hair that she kept in a wonderful braid [ _he loved braiding it but now he couldn't she was dead and gone-_ ] and her freckled face, her silver eyes [that reminded him of the full moon lighting up the night sky] alight with kindness.

But they were _gone. Long gone._

It was several minutes before he said anything, hours before anyone thought he'd dare let shaky words slip past his trembling lips.

"Well? Are we gonna look at what's inside or sit around moping and blaming ourselves?"

He remembered the bad. _Gods,_ did he remember the bad.

But he also remembered the good.

The jokes, the smiles, the gifts. The sunny afternoon picnics, the giggling, the pillow fights, the drawings, the laughter, the flowers growing in the garden.

No one could dwell on the bad stuff, on the past. No one could go back and fix their mistakes. He'd tried to, once, long ago.

But necromancy... it brought back the dead. But it couldn't completely. Not like he'd wanted.

It was impossible.

He couldn't save them. But he could always remember them.

And that was what mattered.

Everybody's heads shot up at the sound of his voice. Hosuh looked shocked beyond belief.

Jeez. He knew his voice was hoarse, but he didn't sound that bad.

"After everything? After knowing? You still want to try to remember it all?" Hosuh asked, unknown tears streaking down his face.

Stephen brushed away the tears with his thumbs and gently bumped their foreheads together.

"Hosuh," He began, "Remember how excited you were when you told me about how happy you were when you remembered all the Christmases and Thanksgivings we spent together?

"As one family, with our little cousins playing with their presents and laughing by the fire, us eating Jay's legendary chocolate pie, making jokes and telling stories at the table?"

Hosuh's tears dripped on the softwood floors. "That was before I knew what happened to you. Before I remembered. Why don't you agree? You remembered their deaths, didn't you?"

Stephen smiled slightly, sadly. "Yeah. I remembered their deaths. But I remembered them. And every good part about living with them. I can't _save_ them. But I _can_ remember the good times. And those are _worth_ remembering."

But Hosuh refused.

"But you had hope. You had a chance to bring them back. I had no _hope_ , no _chance._ I... just can't _do it."_

Stephen opened his eyes and looked into Hosuh's.

"You're right. I had hope. I thought I had a chance, but I was wrong. But hope? Yeah, I had hope. And I'm so, so sorry you didn't. But you are so much stronger than you think, 'Osa.

"There will be some pain, times when we can't bare to remember. But that's okay. We'll help each other through those times. We can remember all the times we joked and laughed, celebrated the holidays and ate treats, talked for hours and enjoyed everything about our lives.

"And we can make more of those memories to recall next time. It's okay if you can't right now. We can wait until you can. We won't force it on you."

Hosuh took a deep, shaky breath. After a moment, he pulled away and stood. "I... I need time to think, if you guys don't mind. I need to go home, anyway. It's getting late."

Dan nodded from where he was next to Jay, sitting near Stephen on the wooden floor. "Of course. However long you need, we'll wait. I think there's some things we _all_ need to mull over as well, so waiting works."

Jay stood as well. "Yeah, Hos. Take however long ya need. Whenever you're ready."

Hosuh nodded and left, shooting them a small, nervous smile.

Dan sighed and got up, followed by Stephen. "I'm sorry for pushing, guys."

"It's okay, Dan. I get where you were comin' from. Let's just catch a break before we continue through that chest." Stephen said, picking up the dagger and placing it back in the chest.

He closed it and tossed on his jacket. "I'm goin' home. Don't open it again 'till everybody's ready."

Dan nodded. "I won't touch it."

Jay sighed. "Dan... just... you're not alone. If you remember something like Hosuh or Stephen did... we'll be there. Just tell us."

Dan nodded, faking a smile. Jay narrowed his eyes, but decided it was just his imagination. "Bye, Dan."

"Bye!" Dan called over his shoulder, having turned so Jay wouldn't notice his trembling lip.

Jay paused, watched him for a moment, then finally left.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Dan collapsed to his knees. "Guys... I'm so, so sorry. I should've done more to save you..."

Tear drops hit the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To explain what Dan remembers, he remembers the battle, the one where Hosuh and Stephen died. The town name was actually from another Danplan fic on Ao3 [Archive Of Our Own] called 'Flames That Tore Us Apart..." by DoodleTheSpy. 
> 
> Keep on writing, Doodle!
> 
> Never be Cruel and Never be Cowardly. See ya!


	6. The Puzzle Completed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys remember more, good and bad memories alike, and learn they're not alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final stretch! I'm updating the rest of this book today! Enjoy the chapter!

"Okay." Hosuh said as soon as he entered Dan's apartment a few days after the chest was found.

"Okay?" Stephen wanted to make sure he was completely fine with it.

"Okay. I've thought it over, and... I would like to remember more good things."

Jay rose from the couch. "If you're sure, then... let's open it."

Dan set the chest on the table. "If everybody's good, then we'll do it. C'mon."

Stephen got up from a chair and walked over, nearly brushing shoulders with Hosuh when they both walked over. Jay joined them, coming to a stop beside Dan.

Dan took a deep breath- they all did- and opened the box again.

Stephen immediately set the dagger aside. Then, Jay gently took out a piece of flattened gold, slightly curved. "This was mine. But what was it?"

Hosuh took it, almost immediately handing it back with a nod. "Part of your crown. You were a king who hated his position. When we came-"

"Stephen found me and you helped me escape. It was fun." Jay smiled, remembering. Then, he froze. "Wait. Can we...?"

Dan glanced at him. "Can we what?"

Jay took a deep breath and raised his hand, concentrating. After a few seconds of confused quiet from the other three, his hand burst into flame.

Everyone jumped while Jay grinned. "We can still harness our magic!"

Dan blinked, then sighed, salty, since he'd been a swordsmen and didn't actually have magic. "Brilliant. Now could you please stop that before you turn my apartment into your coronation?"

However, he hid a soft smile.

Jay huffed and put it away, Stephen smirking at the interaction. But something felt off.

It felt as though that was when someone forgotten would've giggled.

\---

Over the next few weeks, they learned from the chest, remembered more. Hosuh tried out his healing when Jay got a few gashes from a cat and smiled when they were knitted closed.

(Gashes because, apparently, the cat had a purple collar full of dog teeth, claws also covered with dog teeth. They all told Jay he was crazy.)

Stephen enjoyed summoning daggers, but wasn't allowed to raise the dead, the rule set by Hosuh and Dan.

Dan admitted that he'd remembered the battle as soon as he'd opened the chest for the first time. He broke down into sobs, but Jay helped him through it. They all did.

One day, Hosuh was walking towards Dan's house, feeling better then he had about it about 3 weeks before. He was passing an alleyway when he suddenly bumped into someone.

They both fell, but the other person got to their feet first and went to help him up. "Woah. It's you. Are you okay?" She asked.

Hosuh blinked, but accepted her hand. "I'm okay. Why did you say 'It's you'? We've never met."

She looked away, nervous. "Sorry. A few weeks back, I saw you walking by the graveyard only to fall and start sobbing. I was about to go over and help you, but you ran away.

"I saw you being pulled into an apartment and I figured they were your friends and that you'd by okay. And- Oh!" She paused, untying the ribbon from her wrist and handing it back. "This fell out of your hair."

Hosuh blinked, but took it. "Oh, thank you. What's your name? I'm Hosuh."

The girl smiled. "Ann. Nice to meet ya."

Of course, in the midst of a good moment, something just had to go wrong.

As always.

Hosuh was all of a sudden yanked into the alley and had a knife shoved up to his throat, barely allowing breathing room.

Not that he needed all that much. The current situation had happened so many damn times during their journeys that he was basically desensitized to it at that point.

"Give me your money if you want this idiot to leave alive." The crook said.

He said something else, but all of a sudden, Hosuh wasn't listening.

He was staring at Ann's necklace.

It was a white crystal hung on a long cord, similar to quartz, ghostly and see-through to an extent. Sunlight shown through it, reflecting and gifting faint light to the dark alley.

But something was off about it. Very off. For some reason, it hurt to look at.

It felt wrong and irritating, but only when looked at straight on.

Ann glanced at Hosuh, who looked up to meet her gaze and nodded his head the slightest bit.

She was going to attack, but he needed to be away from the crook.

So he slammed his heel into the crook's toes, simultaneously elbowing the guy in the chest, knocking the air from his lungs.

Hosuh pulled away, running to take Ann's place while she ran over to the crook.

She tried to punch him, but he slashed her arm with his knife and ripped off her necklace [probably to sell it], pushing her away.

But without the necklace, Hosuh remembered her.

In all the memories he'd recalled, a new face appeared, a face that had always been there but had been blocked, blurred.

Hosuh remembered Ann and his first thought was, _That crook is **fucked.**_

Gods, Stephen was beginning to rub off on him.

But on the current occasion, his first thought was far from wrong.

Ann sneered, running forward and jumping on the brick walls, using them like stepping stones and crashing down on her opponent, having summoned two massive cleavers.

Needless to say, the crook dropped everything and ran away, somehow escaping alive.

Ann's weapons disappeared with a faint golden light. "And that's whatcha get, bitch." She said, watching the crook as he ran for his godsdamned life.

Hosuh smiled. "Ann." She turned around and laughed, pulling him into a hug. "Hosuh!"

After a little while, he pulled away. "Ann! I'm _so sorry_ that I forgot about you-"

Ann stopped him, eyes suddenly wide with shock and fear. "Wait, how do I know you? How did I do that? What's going on?"

Hosuh sighed. "Ann, you remember me because we were friends for several lifetimes. It's difficult to explain, but... we share past lives. You could do that in your- our- first lives, and you remembered."

Ann sat down for a second. "Somehow, that made sense. Where are the other 3 idiots?"

Hosuh giggled. "Stephen, Jay, and Dan? We remembered a while ago and have been meeting basically everyday to piece together our past lives. That's where I was going, actually. Before we bumped into each other."

Ann smiled. "'Kay. So how come I didn't remember before? And how come you didn't remember me?"

Hosuh glanced at the necklace and picked it up. "It was this. It's enchanted. Because of it, I didn't remember you. Think of us remembering as a radio signal. This blocks all of that signal from reaching each other."

Ann stood, frowning. "Can you tell who enchanted it?"

Hosuh inspected it with furrowed brows. "No. But it wasn't human, I can tell you that much. The enchantment would have to specific to our... confusing bond through lives. Which is... odd."

Ann sighed. "So, what should we do?"

"First, I'm healing your shoulder before you bleed too much." Hosuh retorted, placing his fingers to the gash and concentrating.

It sealed, leaving a faint, white sliver of a scar. Ann smiled. "Alright, worry wort. What now?"

Hosuh thought for a second, then held out the necklace. "Put this back on. Let's see what happens."

Ann took it and snapped it back around her neck. They both froze. Their memories stopped continuing to come back with each other, them even beginning to fade back.

Hosuh whipped out his phone and texted Dan, Stephen, and Jay.

_Bringing a new friend. This is important._

Stephen responded.

_That why you're late? Fine, but hurry. We've been worried, 'Osa._

Dan tagged in.

_Please be careful, whatever the reason is that you're late._

Hosuh replied.

_I will. We're heading to your apartment now._

He put it away. "I'm taking you to them. They need to remember you so we can figure this out."

Ann nodded, her memories beginning to slip away again.

They left, heading towards the apartment at a swift jog. Hosuh quickly knocked, Dan letting them in.

"I assume this is your friend?" He said, closing the door behind them.

Hosuh spoke quickly. "Yes. Guys, something odd just happened really odd."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

Stephen spoke before Hosuh could, frowning at Ann's necklace. "Her necklace. Why is it painful to look at? Why does it feel so _wrong?"_

Hosuh sighed. "That's the thing. Ann, could you take off your necklace please?"

Ann obliged, slipping it off her neck and resting it on the table.

Instantly, Dan, Jay, and Stephen froze, while Ann and Hosuh visibly relaxed, glad that the memories stopped fading and started returning again.

**[*The memories are flooding back!]**

"Ann. Gods, why didn't we remember you?" Dan muttered. "No fucking shit." Stephen agreed with wide eyes. Jay sighed. "Ann, you're here. But seriously, why didn't we remember you before?"

Stephen stood, walking over to the necklace. "This blocked our connection. And it's enchanted, too. Enchanted to our specific link. But how? And why? And how did Ann end up with it?"

Jay rose as well. "Well? Stephen, Hosuh? You guys are our magic experts. Any clue who enchanted it?"

Hosuh sighed and walked over to it as well, touching it and laying his hand over Stephen's to do so. "The only thing I know about who did it is that they weren't human. Maybe a dragon did it."

Stephen nodded. "On that note, it is very old. A few millennia, at least. And I mean that from when we we were running around in our first lives, not from now. From now would be around a megaannum."

Ann jumped onto the couch beside a sighing Dan. Jay glanced at the scene with laughter in his gaze, but turned back to Stephen and Hosuh, also jumping to sit on Dan's other side, causing a face palm. "English, please?"

Stephen glared at him. "A million years."

Jay leaned back with his hands behind his head, elbowing Dan in the face. "I knew that. Anything else?"

Hosuh hid a grin. "There isn't much else, unless someone happened to stumble upon an ancient book- ancient then, mind you- and happened to remember it's really important information about our current pickle."

Dan sighed, done with Ann, Jay, and probably Stephen. "Hosuh, sorry to break it to you, but this isn't anime. The odds of that happening are slightly below astronomical. Atmospheric."

Stephen set down the crystal and began to pace. "We may not know where it came from or who made it, but I have a suspicion of what may have created our link in the first place."

Jay peeked one eye open. "And that is?"

"Remember that ancient, pretty obviously enchanted rock that we found and all had the brilliant idea of touching all at the same time? Probably that." Stephen theorized.

"Also a probable reason that the crystal would block it, it being linked to anyone who happens to touch the stone at the same time and not just us." Hosuh agreed.

Ann perked up. "Oh yeah! That glowy rock thing!"

Dan looked about ready to jump out the window. "Enchanted stone."

"Sure." Ann smiled. "So, what now?"

Jay spoke. "We could start by Hosuh telling us how he bumped into you."

"That's the thing. It started with Hosuh literally bumping into me." Ann said with a smirk.

Stephen smirked in return. "Figures."

So Ann and Hosuh explained what happened with the crook. From their meeting to the crook to remembering.

Through it, there was laughter from Jay and Stephen at the meeting and concern from all three at the crook holding Hosuh captive. Ann dropped in on that part.

"Yeah, sure, but luckily, I remembered how to do this!" She exclaimed, summoning her swords and nearly beheading Dan, who let out a squawk of surprise.

Stephen grinned. "Good job, Ann! You didn't miss with the crook, didja?"

Hosuh put a hand on Dan's shoulder, trying to calm him. "He lives, ran away. And as I was saying..."

They moved on to reminiscing with Ann, remembering particular adventures: Fighting the dragon, retrieving Jay at his coronation, that one time Hosuh got turned into a fox, the 7 different times they'd gotten thrown in a dungeon.

Finally, there was a moment when everyone was quiet, thinking or dozing in the calm environment. Then, Ann spoke into the hush, slightly curling in on herself.

"Guys... how many necklaces are there? How many other people were beside us on those adventures and we just don't remember them?"

Stephen sighed. "Through the crystal, I sensed another energy just like the crystal's. Another crystal, I presume. I don't know if there are others outside my range, but there is another nearby. That's for certain."

Dan nodded. "We should all keep an eye out. I guess we have someone else to remember, huh?"

Hosuh smiled softly. "I can't wait."

Jay narrowed his eyes at the necklace. "Hey, Ann. How'd ya get it, anyway?"

Ann shifted to lean more into the couch. "My uncle gave it to me as a present when I was 5. He was always pretty shady, so I suppose it makes sense that the necklace did something bad. What should we do with it?"

Jay rose from his seat. "Wanna smash it?"

Hosuh got up too. "Wait. What about its power? If it is destroyed... what will happen? It's too dangerous. And we need to find the other before we do anything."

Stephen sighed. "Sorry to say it, but 'Osa has a point. We need to know more and find the other before destroying it. No one knows what will happen."

Jay whined from the back of his throat and flopped down beside Dan, who leaned into him without even noticing. "We should all keep an eye out for the necklace, then."

Everybody nodded in agreement. The sun set, they traded numbers with Ann, and they all left Dan's apartment. As soon as the door clicked shut and Dan was left alone, he sighed.

"What happened to them?" He murmured under his breath.

\---

It had been around a month since Ann had left the necklace with Dan. She loved remembering times she'd forgotten: Birthdays, Christmases, Thanksgivings, Halloweens, and all the other cool holidays spent together.

One day, her friends, Pau and Ivu, introduced her to someone new. Their friend, who'd apparently moved back to town a few months before, it being his hometown.

"Hey! I'm Ann!" Ann greeted him.

"Hi! I'm Jo! Nice to meet you!" He said, holding out his hand for a handshake.

That was when Ann noticed his earring. The crystal Stephen sensed, hanging from his earlobe. Ann shook herself and returned the handshake.

"Hey, it's probably silly, but can I look at your earring? It's really cool!" She said, forcing a smile.

Jo blinked. "Hmm? Oh, sure! Here." He slipped the earring out of his ear, giving it to her.

She took it, feeling memories sharpen in her mind. Jo. He'd been kidnapped from his cottage in the mountains, stolen by a witch. They'd saved him, only to find his cottage burned to nothing.

He'd joined them, fighting with a bow and arrow and wielding power over water, mostly using such power to stop Jay from setting everything on fire.

He'd been so kind, joined them when they went to that castle. Who had it belonged to again? Oh yeah. The-

"Are you okay? Both of you?" Pau asked with concern. Ann realized that both herself and Jo had been remembering, paying attention to their minds instead of the real world.

Ann gave the earring to Pau. "Could you hold this for a sec? I need to talk to Jo."

She led Jo around a corner. "Do you remember?" She asked.

Jo nodded, dark chocolate eyes flashing with shock and confusion. "Starting to. What's going on? The earring came off and suddenly I started remembering impossible things."

Ann nodded. "There's something I've gotta tell ya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, there will be a sequel, so do not fear! Just 'cause next chapter is an epilogue, it will be addressed!
> 
> Never be Cruel and Never be Cowardly! See ya next time!


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An end, and a beginning

"There's something I've gotta tell ya."

She explained, led him back to Pau, got the earring, reintroduced him to the other 4.

They decided to lock the two crystals away, see if they'd one day find someone who could tell them what they were, if there were more, stuff like that.

Hosuh and Stephen got married, as did Dan and Jay. They grew old, but never truly knew if they were the only ones.

They buried the chest, containing their items and the small box that contained the crystals.

They wondered if they'd ever see anyone else that they'd forgotten.

Hosuh was the last to die at 92, but died in his sleep, dreaming of journeying through kingdoms and laughing with his friends.

Little did they know, their puzzle was complete.

Little did they know, their next life would be a lot more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Be Continued in After Everything, Coming Soon


End file.
